Little - Keep Trees

followed by the 384th Bombardment Wing in August.
Neither wing had aircraft yet.
Col. Joseph A. Thomas arrived as the first base
commander in February 1955. His primary duty was to
oversee and coordinate construction. Tragically, barely
five months after assuming command, Col. Thomas
died in the crash of the base's only aircraft, a C-45
assigned for administrative transportation. Before his
death, Col. Thomas was able to oversee the completion
of much of the essential infrastructure. Thomas
Avenue and the Thomas Community Activities Center
were dedicated in honor of his service.
At 8 a.m. on Sept. 10, 1955, the base officially
opened to air traffic. In a special ceremony, local leaders
and personnel welcomed the 70th Strategic
Reconnaissance Wing. Three RB-47s specifically
thanked the community for its support through their
names: “Razorback,” “City of Little Rock” and “City of
Jacksonville.” (Although this was the defining moment,
these aircraft were actually not the first RB-47s to land
at base. Two aircrews had landed three days earlier for
a one-night familiarization visit. Paint crews, still working
on the runway, took a break as the aircraft made
their final approach.)
A month later, on Oct. 9, 1955, Secretary of the
Air Force Donald A. Quarles, Gen. Curtis E. LeMay,
SAC commander, and about 85,000 visitors dedicated
the new base. By that date, 90 buildings were either
finished or in the final phase of construction, but the
base was far from complete.
Strategic operations during the Cold War
During these early years, the 70th Strategic
Reconnaissance Wing flew reconnaissance missions.
Crew members and maintainers provided an “eye in
the sky,” launching missions from Little Rock AFB to
various operating locations around the world. Prior to
the U-2 Dragon Lady, the B-47 was the plane of choice
to overfly and photograph potential adversaries. For
most of the 1950s, nothing could touch a Stratojet.
Surface-to-air missiles were in their infancy and neither
anti-aircraft artillery nor enemy fighters could climb to
the Stratojet’s altitude. For a time, it flew almost anywhere
with impunity.
While the 70th was a photographic reconnaissance
organization, other RB-47s equipped with sensitive
monitoring equipment flew at, and sometimes over, the
Soviet Union border. This would prompt the Soviets to
activate their defenses, which the RB-47 crews monitored
and recorded.
This data then formed the basis for effective war
plans to be carried out by bomb wings like the 384th.
This method of testing a potential enemy was extremely
perilous. Aircrews were pushed to the limits.
Members of the 70th Reconnaissance Wing
pose in front of one of their RB-47 aircraft.
Bottom photo:
A Titan II Missile in its silo. The 308th SMW
crewed and maintained these important
strategic weapons day and night for 23 years.
(U.S. Air Force photos)
Assigned bomber alert duties, the 384th Bombardment
Wing spent countless days and nights with their aircraft
armed, fueled and ready to go at a moment’s notice.
384th aircrews also commonly participated in “reflex”
operations, continually rotating to forward locations
around the world. Both wings maintained a high state
of readiness for any potential Cold War crises.
By mid-1957, there were more
than 5,500 military personnel and
300 civilian employees assigned to
Little Rock AFB. This large increase
in personnel in such a short time
compounded the ongoing housing
problem, especially for military members
with families. Accordingly, the
Air Force hired Miles Construction to
build 1,535 family housing units. By
May 1, 1959, all of them were either
occupied or ready for occupancy.
LITTLE ROCK 2013 AFB GUIDE Little Rock Air Force Base History 11